Ancient Powers
by the darkside of life
Summary: A side story to 'Don't open the book.' Elinwy finds herself on a quest with Duo to find her family and claim what is rightyfully hers.
1. Chapter 1

Ancient powers

Side story to Don't open the book

Chapter 1

By: darkside

AN: Demon- main dog, Serbian husky, huge, white, one blue, one red eye, first 

Delivers, the biggest

Spike- husky, medium, brown curly hair, two green eyes, delivers huge 

Packages, loves to growl at evil people

Fluffy- malamute husky, brown and white straight hair, two green eyes, 

Delivers important letters, the fastest

Giant- husky, black and brown spots on white hair, very small, two blue 

eyes, delivers letters, the smallest

Midnight- husky, all black with gray around eyes, one blue, one black eye, 

Comes and stays with Elinwy at Hogwarts, oldest, been with Elinwy all life

Now that you've got that on with the story:

Elinwy sat by the common room fire, Midnight at her foot, a small backpack by her other. Her dog looked up at her, concern definite in his eyes. "Don't worry dog. It'll all be over soon." She reached down and scratched his ear. "I now it will be ok in the end." Elinwy talked to her dog as she expected it to talk back. She opened her hand to see a small marble in it, "Plus Uncle D gave us this." Elinwy leaned back into the large chair, thinking about that afternoon.

~*~*~ Flashback ~*~*~

Professor Dumbledore walked into his office, and jumped at the sight of his best friends daughter and her dog. Elinwy looked over to him as he sat down. "Now my dear, how did you get in ere?" Elinwy didn't reply. Dumbledore sighed, "You are your father's daughter. Now what can I do for you?" Elinwy sat in the chair oppisite of him, "It's Midnight. My mom wouldn't send him this far just to keep me company. Something is wrong, and I have a bad feeling. I also happen to believe you know something about it."

Dumbledore sighed again, "I'm afraid I promised your father I wouldn't tell you. You are after all only 16, and he doesn't want to bother you with these affairs yet." Elinwy semi-glared at him, but got up and walked to his phoenix instead, Midnight picking up hi s head to watch her. "I'll find our ether way Uncle. Please just tell me." Elinwy turned back to Dumbledore, emotion showing through her eyes. Dumbledore sighed as he took off his half-moon glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "You know I won't betray my word, or his wishes. And I know you won't take no for an answer." Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, "And I also know that you won't listen to me, so you'll go home, even if I tied you to a chair and told you to stay here." Elinwy chuckled a little, "You know me so well." Dumbledore looked at her, "You've change so much. Why.." "I remember when you weren't taller than my knee, I know. Dad used to say the exact same thing." Elinwy finished his sentence. The old man smiled and opened a drawer, "If you must go, take this." He handed her a small crystal, no bigger than a marble.

When Elinwy looked at it, her eyes widened, "Uncle! This is the Seer's eye! I can't take this!" Dumbledore shook his head, "You take it with you. I have the other one." He showed her another orb, that was hung around his neck. "Now, if ever you are in trouble, I shall come." Elinwy nodded, sticking the orb in her pocket. "Thank you." She whistled to Midnight and followed her out the door. Dumbledore leaned back in the chair, 'Lucis is going to kill me when he finds out about this one.'

~*~*~ End Flashback ~*~*~

Elinwy stood over Feira's sleeping body. She bent over and stuck a note on her forehead, she couldn't miss it there. Elinwy smiled a little, and then left. Midnight followed Elinwy all the way to the front gates, "Think Whitebrook." Elinwy turned to see her other Uncle standing in the shadows. "I already have Uncle S." Snape stepped out of the shadows and looked at the girl he had helped raise, hell he even taught her both protection against the dark arts and the dark arts themselves. "Have you thought enough? You now as well as I do what you'll find." Elinwy scowled at him, "I am Elinwy Crystal Maria Whitebrook the fourth, and shall never leave my family in despair." Snape scowled back at her, "you are your father's daughter, so take this." He tossed a bottle at Elinwy. She caught it and looked at it, "It's a special, you wouldn't recognize it. It's something to keep those 'mood swings' of yours in check." And with that Snape walked back into his office and Elinwy put the bottle in her bag.

Elinwy scratched Midnight's ears again as she opened the door. "That will come in handy when we leave the protective circle of Hogwarts." She walked a good 12 yd. from the building before pulling out a wind pipe. At first, she played a slow chord, than a fast, happy one then a medium flowing one, and finally a long sweet note. Midnight howled and was soon answered by four different ones. Elinwy put the pipe back into her bag and started running in one direction. "Sprit of wild, body of speed, soul of wind, deliver unto me!" With that a see through horse appeared and Elinwy jumped onto it's back, with little trouble. Midnight following right on it's heels, still howling. Just then two large dogs came from the forest, Spike and Fluffy. They fell in line with the horse, staying on it's left side. By not they were pretty far away from Hogwarts. Another howl was heard as Giant joined Midnight on the horse's right side. They were coming over the hill that would block the view of Hogwarts. On that hill stood Demon, (Think Princess Monoke and the wolf gods) eyes glowing in the moon. Demon joined the group, leading them over the hill and through the flower field, not even bending one stem.

They kept up this pace for a good two hours, till they stopped at a river so the dogs could drink. Elinwy dismounted and the phantom horse disappeared. She stood by the river, looking back to where they had come from. 'My leaving scene there probably woke up half the school.' "I feel sorry for Uncle D. when he tells Lucuis that I left again." Elinwy said talking to her dogs. The sun was beginning to come up. "We'll stay here for the day." She sat down by a tree, leaning u against it. Soon enough her dogs where laying by her, if not on her. "Good night." With that Elinwy was asleep.

They slept all day, but by night, Elinwy had caught some fish and was cooking them over a fire. She poked one and took it off, throwing it to the nearest dog. Elinwy did this till one fish was left, which she ate her self. As she went to the river, Demon's head perked up as he growled at some trees and bushes. "Ingtious." The bush caught on fire and a body jumped out. Spike as immediately on the person. "Elinwy, would you please get your dog off me!" She whistled and the dog walked over to Elinwy, who patted his head, "Good dog. Now what are you doing here?" Duo got up from the ground, dusting himself off. "I'm following you of course." Elinwy bent down, drinking her water. "Where are you going anyway?" "That would be none of your business. And I suggest that you hurry up and get back." Dou frowned, "Come on. You might need help, no tot mention company." All the dogs stood up and growled, Duo backed up, "Or maybe just help." Elinwy packed up her stuff and looked at Duo, "I am in no need of help. S I would suggest that you just turn around and..." She was cut off by a 'roar' of some type. Just as a large cat/griffin/orc thing burst through the forest line. "Go for the eyes." Duo shouted as Elinwy pulled out her knife again. The dogs distracted the creature while Elinwy trust at the creature with her knife at it's neck. The wound healed almost immediately. "Like I said! Go for the eyes!" Duo shouted again. Elinwy risked a look back at Duo, missing the paw/claw that came down on her side, scratching her whole let side. Then the creature tossed Fluffy to the side, with it's paw, and headed for Elinwy's limb body.

Duo then ran with a stick and rammed it into the creature's eye. With one last scream it fell to the ground, died. After checking if it was dead, Duo walked over to Elinwy. He picked her up and laid her by the river, "Where is it the worst?" "My side, but don't worry about it." Duo gave her a weird look, she smirked at him then started chanting in a language Duo couldn't recognized. Elinwy had closed her eyes and held a hand over the river, a small patch under her hand glowed white and little drops of water flowed up and into her wounds, she sat up. "Come here dog." Fluffy limped over and she did the same thing with his wounds, all closing right as the water touched them.

"So how did you know to go for it's eye?" She asked, looking him straight in the eye. He smiled, "Saw it in a book." Elinwy gave him a puzzled look than stood up, "Fine, you can come along, but you have to be quick and don't get in my way." With that she turned and grabbed her bag and started walking away. Duo ran to catch-up and the two were off to wherever they were going.


	2. chapter 2

They had been walking for a day and a half now, but according to Elinwy, they were pretty close. "Soooooo. Where exactly are we going?" Elinwy kept walking and looking ahead, not even turning her head to look at the boy walking beside her. "We're heading in the exact direction of the place I was raised." Duo looked at her, "Your home. How exactly can you live in the middle of the desert." "I do not live in the middle of the desert. The whole desert is an illusion of the mind, to anyone coming here with an uninviting intention to my family will find nothing but a hot desert full of nothing but heat and sand." Duo blinked a few times. "Like Hogwarts." Elinwy shook her head, "No, this is more powerful, and more deadly. For the very moment they step into the border, they are stuck here, forever."

"Hmmm....." Duo had to admit, it was a bit over kill, but it was probably what the person deserved. "There." Elinwy pointed to a small black hill over the sand dune in front of them. As they continued to walk the hill grew larger till it look like a tower. But the tower just kept going up and was soon just a part of a huge black castle. The castle just kept getting bigger and bigger as they kept walking. Elinwy stopped and her eyes widened and a gasp escaped her mouth. The large castle was smoking in some places and in others, there were holes and other places there were no tops or walls. "What happened here?" Duo asked, coming closer to Elinwy, her hands were at her mouth and her eyes were glazed over with tears, though none fell. "Eli?" Duo put an arm around her shoulder.

"MOM!" She quickly pushed Duo away and whistled Demon over. Elinwy grabbed Duo's hand and pulled him on top of Demon, who easily took the weight and was quickly running towards the castle. Duo hung onto Elinwy and Elinwy hung on the Demon. They reached the front gate, which was blasted off the hinges, and Demon ran them all the way to the front door. Grabbing hold of the door knob, Elinwy pulled with all her weight, but couldn't get it open. Her dogs, whimpered, feeling her pain and despair. It took Duo a while to regain himself.

"DUO! DUO, PLEASE HELP ME!" Duo turned his head over to Elinwy, who was trying to, without success, to open the door. "HELP ME! I NEED TO HELP THEM!" She continued to pull on the door, tears falling slightly from her eyes. Duo didn't need to be asked again, he ran the few feet to the door, and carefully but his hand over hers. Together they pulled, moving the door slightly. "IMESH!" Elinwy yelled, as the door glowed green, and they were able to open the door enough for a person to slip though. 

Letting go of the door, Elinwy ran in the house, Duo following close behind, then her dogs. "I'M HERE! DON'T GIVE UP!" She yelled out to some one Duo couldn't see. 

Once in the house, Elinwy didn't stop running. She ran straight down the halls, turning left and right and right again, she ran around corners, dodged tables and jumped pillars. She seemed to know where every thing was. Duo had a hard time keeping up with her, but he managed it fairly well. Suddenly she stopped in front of a room, probably the only room, with the door still in tact. 

Elinwy hesitated at the door, staring at the door knob. Finally, when Duo had caught his breath, did she even place her hand on the door. "I'm coming." "Eli?" "Hold on, just a little longer!" When Elinwy talked, she did not talk to Duo or herself, but some one else, far away. "Just a little longer, I'm coming." Whatever world she was in, she came back from, her face hardening, she opened the door. Duo looked over her shoulder, he was worried about her, Elinwy's moods were going back and forth to much, in the end, it could be very desasterous on her mind.

When she stepped in the room, Duo could see that the room was a music room. Surprisingly, the room was all in tact. The walls were covered with all different types of instruments, string and wind. In the corner of the room, was a small upraise in the floor, that was the stage. Duo watched Elinwy as she walked around the room, dragging her hand across the wall, over every instrument. She went around the room, twice, eyes forward, focused on some unknown place.

"Eli, talk to me. What are we doing?" Duo followed Elinwy, as she walked around the room, worry in his eyes. She stopped, picking a bow of the wall, then a cello. Without answering his question, moved to the stage. She sat on the chair, and wordlessly started playing. A slow, low melody started playing, and to Duo's surprise, he somehow knew this song. It was sung from her heart, and his joined in. Duo looked from Elinwy to the wall, other instruments were glowing, coming off the walls and joining Elinwy by them selves. A slow a sorrowful harmony and melody was established through all the instruments. 

The song was louder and it broke into his soul. He barely heard Elinwy take in a breath and start to sing:

As the wind blows

As the sea flows

As my love grows

I see only you

As the fire burns

As earth curns

As my love yearns

For only you

I will lose you

I will find you

I will love you

Forever more

Forever more

Her voice rang with the instruments, pushing the song deeper into Duo's heart. He knew he had heard this song before, he didn't know where.

Round and around

The earth goes

And the earth goes

Around the sun

And my life goes

Around you

I will lose you

I will find you

I will leave

I will join you

I will love you

Forever more

Forever more

Her voice trailed out to a distant hum as the instruments returned to the wall, or more like blended into the walls. After the last note died down, nothing was left in the room, but Duo, Elinwy and her chair, on the walls were only imprints of the instruments that used to be there. 

"Love forever love." Elinwy said these words, looking at the ground, a small rumbling sound was heard and a hole opened in the corner behind Elinwy. "Come on, we don't have much time left." "Where are we going?" "I'll explain later, lets go." She ran through the door and was quickly followed by her dogs, who had sat quietly through the whole music episode. Duo sighed and shrugged his shoulders, "Who wants to live forever?" Then ran down the stairs right past the door, all most falling down them.


	3. Chapter 3

Running down the stairs, proved to be harder than Duo had thought at first. He continuously lost his footing and slipped a few steps, before Gundam training kicked in and he no longer fell. Saving his breath for their trip down, which was proving to quite a ways down. Both ran in silence, the dogs pulling in front, finally they lost sight of them. Duo followed Elinwy down the endless stair case, both said nothing but kept eyes straight ahead. 'What's going on here? Where are we going? What am I going to do when I find out?' Duo's normally funny manner had disappeared and he now wore a calm and worried look

'YouR AnWSeRs WiLl BE ANWseReD YouNG OnE.' The cracked up voice played in his head as a bright light was consumed over both of them. He was now floating in some area, though he had no clue where. 'Where am I?' 'YoU ARE In tHe MinD OF ELINWY. OR MoRE precisely HeR MeMOries.' It was the same voice, but a little more clearer.

'Why am I here?' 'YoU WILL SEE.' Another bright flash and he was standing in a room, beside him was a young girl, no more than 6, she had short brown hair and shinning blue eyes, beside the girl stood a boy, that looked the same age, he too had short brown hair, but darker blue eyes. The young pair stood before a desk, an old man, he had no wrinkles but gray and black hair and mustache, sat that desk and stared quietly at the two, "Elinwy, Alex. Do you two know why your here?" Elinwy leaned over to the boy, Alex, and whispered, "Just play dumb." Duo chuckled, this was nothing like the Elinwy he knew, "No father." Alex said, looking as innocent as he could. The man sighed.

"The cook has complained, yet again, that you two has been mixing the salt and the sugar. And you do know, that tonight we are having important guests?" He took off his glasses and stared down at them. "We have no clue what your talking about daddy." The young Elinwy said, putting her hands behind her back and rocking on her heels. The man sighed and leaned back in his chair. "Very well, you may go." They started to leave, "But you better tell who ever it is that did it, to undo it if they don't want to get grounded." Their father said with a twinkle in his eye. They nodded and left

The bright light went over him, and Duo was placed in yet another memory, or so he assumed. A little bit older, but still young Elinwy appeared, sitting at a desk, she looked about 9. Her hair was longer and her eyes weren't as so bright, but still held warmth, but even that was more than what she looked like at home. She sat at a desk, looking out the window, like she was looking for something or someone. Suddenly she jumped up and ran to the door, he was some how forced to follow her, running down the stairs and out the door with her. It was the same castle them were in, but it was cleaner and greener. "UNCLE D! UNCLE D!" He looked at who she was calling to. It was Dumbledore, or he at least it was. The man had short silver hair and only a small beard, but still had the half moon glasses and kind eyes, it had to be him. Chibi-Elinwy ran to him and jumped into his arms. "Your late!" Dumbledore smiled, "I'm sorry little one, I had some business to attend to before I came." Chibi-Elinwy pouted a little, "I don't even see why we have to continue lessons, Alex was all ready chosen as the next." "Well, little one, you still have grow strong and continue your lessons because you'll grow up to become a protector of your brother and help him in his work!" "But Alex is invisible! He won't need help." Dumbledore laughed and set the girl down, "Come my dear, lets go review."

Another light flushed into him for another one. This time, Elinwy stood infront of her home, hand in hand with, Professor Snape?! Duo could believe it. Elinwy looked only 10, her eyes were downcast, and tears fell on the sand, "Why do I have to leave?" She asked through tears, "You've got to learn about the world outside of your house. Now come on, we have to go get you inroled." Duo was suprised by how kindly Snape talked to her, "But what about father and mother? Who will protect them, now that I'm gone?" Snape bent down to her level, "It's ok Eli, they will be able to take care of themselves. Remember, they're the greatest wizards in the world." Chibi-Elinwy nodded and aloud herself to be taken away by Snape.

Another flash. 11 year old Elinwy stood beside a group of other children, all in wizard robes and hats, but the teacher that were talking to them, was a teacher he had never seen before. And the halls and doors, they were none he had ever seen around school. 'It must be a different school.' He felt a ghost like head nod, though he saw none. "I'll be right back, go no where." The teacher said, before exiting the room. "So it's true. A Whitebrook has graced us with her presence? What's the matter, to good to speak up." This came from a boy with spiky blond hair and cold black eyes. "What does it matter to you?" This was the Elinwy he knew. "So there you are. So how long do you think she'll last?" "Oh shove it John. Just because your stupid and she's not, doesn't mean you should pick on her." This came from a boy that just walked in the room, he was a third year, by the strips on his arm. He lingered over them at 6ft. With slicked back blond hair and cool amber eyes.

Chibi-Elinwy looked up at him and blushed. He smiled down at her and turned to the crowd, "Lets go first years, time to get sorted." As the boy opened the door, Duo was blinded by yet another flash. This time he watched as Elinwy, now 13 stared out the window. She had a sad look to her, she sat on the window seal seat, her head on her knees, hair flowing down the middle of her back. It was raining outside, which brought an even sadder look to the whole situation. "Why do you look so sad Eli?" A mans voice turned both their attention the other way. It was the same boy as before, Elinwy gave a small smile, then turned back to the window. "I'm leaving tomorrow Jared. I'm going to a muggle school. I won't be coming back." Jared just smiled, showing off one fang and moved closer to Elinwy, "Don't be sad over that, I'm leaving too. So even if you weren't I would be." "Where are you going?" "I'll be going to finish off my last two years at another wizarding school, over in England or somewhere over there." Elinwy chuckled, "Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, headmaster Dumbledore." Jared smiled again, "I forgot, you are a regular genus." "Only slightly." 

Elinwy sighed, "I'm gonna miss you. You were my first and only friend here. You looked past my name and into my soul. I've never really got to thank you." Jared grabbed Elinwy's hand and guided her to her feet. "There is no need to thank me. You've given me a true friendship, something that can never broken, even by our long distances." Elinwy blushed and nodded, Jared took another step closer and lend down ,she closed her eyes.

A bright flash blinded Duo before he could see how far they got. Then he sat at a desk. This time he recognized the room, it was his classroom, his muggle classroom, in high school. The door opened and a girl walked in. She wore dark blue jeans and a baggy gray sweat shirt, her dark brown hair pulled tight into a pony tail, her blue eyes no longer shone with happiness, but with sadness and anger, she wore a blue saddle bag hung at her side.. She handed a note to the teacher, the teacher read over the note then stood up. "Class, I would like you to meet Elinwy. She's transferring into our class from, New York. Elinwy, I'm Ms. Leonard, please take any empty seat." Elinwy chose a seat in the back and took out a book and started reading. Soon a bell rang and the class was dismissed. Duo once more was pulled by an unknown force.

This time it was down the hall of the school, Elinwy walked down the side of the hall, stopping when she heard someone yell at someone else. "WHAT YOU CALL ME?!" The crowd stopped a girl next to Elinwy sighed and turned to her friend, "She's doing it again." "I wonder who it is this time?" Elinwy just kept moving through the crowd. Duo saw Fiera and a must bigger, muscle-made man fighting with her. "You heard me, Shorty." Fiera looked like she was about to exploded. "Take it back you muscle headed jerk for a girl!" The man seemed to have a short temper and immediately picked Fiera up by the collar of her shirt. "You first, Shorty." "Never." The man raised a fist, and the group gasped as it looked like he was going to hit her and not hold back. There was a dull thud as the fist was stopped by Elinwy's hand. "Put her down." Elinwy looked at the man with no emotion in her eyes. The man pulled his hand out of her grip and dropped Feira. 

"And who do you think you are?" The man shouted, "Someone who believes girls shouldn't be hit." The man smirked, and punched at her face, she jumped out of the way and continued to look at him non-emotionally. "I'd stop while you're ahead." The man was more enraged now as he aimed to swing again. This time she caught his hand, just above the wrist, then flipped the huge man over her hip, sending him to the ground. She aimed to punch him in the face, but stopped only a few inches from it, "Never mess with me or this girl again, or I won't stop next time." Elinwy stood up, shoved her hands in her pockets and started walking away.

"Hey! Wait up!" Elinwy didn't stop, she just keep walking down the hall, ignoring the looks people were giving her. Feira finally caught up with the girl, "I'm Feira. Thanks for stopping that guy back there, I guess my mouth rules my life. What's your name." "Your welcome, but please leave me alone." Elinwy walked off. Duo couldn't believe it, Feira was must likely Elinwy's best friend and here she was, trying her best to ignore the small girl.

Duo followed Elinwy to all of her classes, where she just pulled out her book and read. Soon it was lunch. And Elinwy chose to sit out in the courtyard, sitting under a tree, once more reading a book. "Hi again." Elinwy looked up to see Feira. "Hey is that a Peanut butter and Jelly Sandwich?! I'll trade you for my ham and turkey?" Elinwy stared at the girl, wide eyed. "Don't you have any friends?" Feira just smiled at her, "Nope, nobody really wanted to be my friend, my mouth kind of scares people away." Elinwy gave a little laugh and then laughed a little louder, Feira gave her a weird look. "Do you really want to trade sandwiches?" Fiera nodded and handed Elinwy her sandwich and Elinwy hand Feira hers. "I'm Elinwy." At that Fiera just started jabbering away as Elinwy stared at her like she was a novelty.

Another flash of light and he was back in home room. This time Elinwy sat next to Fiera, he also recognized Afton and Relena there beside her. Duo knew this time, just as he suspected, the door opened and five men walked in the room, one was himself. Duo smiled to himself, he knew what was going to happen. He watched as the teacher introduced them all, and the boys eyes wondering around the room. He watched as his past self, smiled at all the girls, making them giggle in return. All except the one girl in the back, Elinwy. She was the only one who hadn't giggled or whispered to her friends, she just stared back at him. "Mr. Maxwell?" His past self broke the staring contest with Elinwy and looked at the teacher, "Please take you seat Mr. Maxwell." Duo laughed and chose a seat in the back by Elinwy.

"The names Duo, pleased to meet you." This caused a slight blush to rise from Elinwy, but she covered it with her book. The present Duo's eyes were once more blinded by that white light, but this time he was taken back to the present, to a bare like room, it must have been the basement, because it was cold and poorly lighted. 'NOW YOU KNOW HER PAST. PLEASE, HELP HER, SHE NEEDS ALL YOU CAN GIVE HER.' The voice was prefect in his head. He looked around for Elinwy, she sat in the middle of the room, a boy's body was cradled in her lap, she held nothing back, as she cried her heart out.

Duo walked up behind her, "Eli." "He tried take it in. He was almost there. I wasn't fast enough. He was almost the next! And I wasn't there for him." Duo kneeled down by her, looking at the man in her lap, it was the boy she was with in front of her father, her brother, or so he thought. But either way, the man was dead, there was no doubt about it. "It's not your fault. Come on, lets go back to Hogwarts." Elinwy shock her head, "No. Look. There on the floor." Duo looked down at the floor for the first time. All along the floor was indents. He was sure there was a design to them, but it was to big to see. "What do they mean?" "They're the old language, the dead language. It means, someone else can be the next!" Elinwy's eyes widened, "The next what?" "The next Whitebrook." With that she stood, leaving the body of her brother at the edge of the symbol. "Eli?" She stopped at what must have been the middle. "Fire burning. Water smashing. Earth rolling. Air rushing. Love beating. Deliver me into the new world!" The symbols on the ground shown bright green and blinded Duo, it was the same intensity of the white light.

The light faded and Duo watched in amazement as Elinwy's body was lifted off the floor and into the air, a light surrounding her, blocking her from view. Then the light faded, and there stood a whole different Elinwy.


	4. Chapter 4

She stood there in front of him, face to the ceiling. Her hair now touched the ground and was totally black, save for the purple streak that went from bangs to tips in the middle of her head. Instead of her jeans and shirt, she wore a long black renaissance dress, a V-neck that laced up and flared sleeves the covered her hands, the dress pooled at her feet. Duo gapped as he watched a tear slid from her eyes, "Alex. Why'd you do that?" She opened her eyes, and turned them to the body of the boy. Duo stood still, not believing what he had just experienced. Her eyes held sorrow that a human being should never have to experience in one life or another. She kneeled down by her brother, dark blue eyes, looking up and down his body, "Sleep well." She kissed his eye lid and Duo watched as the body slowly disappeared into white sparkles. After sitting in quit for a while, Duo finally spoke up, "Eli?" She turned to him, and smiled, "Hello Duo. Glad to see your still alive." Duo gave her a weird laugh, "Yeah, I guess so." More silence, "So... What exactly happened here?" "Ah...." Elinwy just sat there, she rested her head against her hand. "How should I explain this?" Suddenly she sat up right, and looked around the room, she whistled a small tune. Then out of the shadows, five men came. They all stood about 5'8 and wore a robe of white. The first was a pale white and had golden hair, his eyes held a look of death and strength, though one was red and one was blue, "Duo meet Demon, or now Artemis." Duo stared hard at he man, "No...." The second was tan with curly brown hair and his green eyes held a kindness and wisdom, "Spike, or better yet, Apollo." The man gave a small nod. The third was a dark brown and had straight brown hair that flowed to his shoulders, his green eyes held warmth and laughter. "Fluffy..." The man cringed at the name, "Knossos." He also gave a curt bow. The fourth was a 'shiny' white skinned man with short black hair and his blue eyes held solitude and solemn, "Giant, Tantalus." The last man was tanned man with black hair, but his held streaks of gray, one eye was blue and one was black and unseeing, they both seemed to hold life and curiosity in them, "Midnight, Poseidon." "All Greek gods..." "At least he's part way smart." Knossos said, "I don't know, that mouth of his seems to be catching a lot of flies." Apollo returned. "That it does." Tantalus laughed. "Mistress." The three's laughter was silenced by the deep voice of Artemis. They all looked to Elinwy, "Yes Arty?" She stared back at him, "What do you wish of us?" She looked at them, "So I'm the next?" Poseidon nodded, "Your family was under attack here by the one who wished to gain the powers of the Whitebrooks. Only today was the last day they were able to hold off the attack. Your brother, Alex, attempted to undertake the powers, but was stopped by the attacker. He gave his life to hold in the secret." Elinwy frowned, "What of the rest of my family?" "During the attack, your mother and father sent your brother away from the castle, although I believe Jim may still be here." An eerie silence filled the room, "And what of mother and father? Where have they gone?" No one spoke. "Poseidon... I know you know." The man stood there, pity in his one good eye, "And I know you know what happened to them...." Elinwy shook her head, "It can't be, because Uncle Snape said they were invisible, nothing could stop them, nothing." Another period of silence over took the room, as Duo put together the information he knew to figure out what had happened to her parents. "Eli." Artemis spoke up again, "You know your parents were still weak from the fight with the dark wizards, even then, forty years later. Even the silliest gnome could have defeated them." Eli shook her head again, Duo took a step towards her. "Then they're gone?" The five men bowed their heads, a sign of a sad good-bye. "To a better place then." She stood up and turned to Duo, "Maxwell." He looked at her, "Yeah?" "I'm Elinwy Crystal Maria Whitebrook the fourth. And from here on in the Next Whitebrook, and with the power of the entire Whitebrook family, which extends past the records of man, I see that no harm is done to this world. My brother, Alex, attempted to become the next, as it was foreseen when we were children, in the middle of a battle against the evil that wanted our power for it's own end. He was killed in the process, at the duty of the Next was pasted unto me. These five men that you see behind me are the protectors of the Whitebrooks and shall do whatever it takes to make sure that the power of the Whitebrooks stays with the Whitebrooks. "The dream-state in which you found your self, before coming here was the last wish of my brother, to let my guardian know what my life was like. Since you have been chosen as the next guardian, it is your duty to work in the place of the five guardians, who will retake their dog forms shortly. Are willing to spend your life guarding this power and life that resides inside me?" Duo stood there throughout the whole thing, staring. Supreme power? Before records? Evil? He didn't quite get this. But now, he was being given the choice to protect the one girl he had fallen in love with. He was being given a choice to protect her throughout her entire life.... Duo shrugged, "Might as well, I have nothing else better to do." Elinwy smiled, walked over and hugged him, "I knew I could count on you." Then she pulled back and kissed him, right on the lips. Duo was shocked for a minute, as she pulled back and winked at him. "What a strange guy to choose." Knossos laughed, "If you ask me could have made a better choice." Tantalus said, "You guys are so mean." Elinwy laughed with her gaurdians. "Only because your so cute." Was Apollo's reply, "Mistress, you must find your brothers and reclaim the land that has been tainted by the hands of evil. We shall come again when we are needed." Artemis said as a light consumed them, and the man selves were once more replaced with their dog selves. "This is getting weirder and weirder." Duo said, shaking his head. "Just wait. It gets better." Elinwy said moving towards the stairs, "At least now you'll get some respect from my dogs. Come on, we have a house to search." Duo ran to catch up with Elinwy, "Eli, I like the look and all, but I think it's getting to you. What are we searching the house for?" They continued up the stairs, Duo walking beside Elinwy to keep from stepping on her dress. "Actually, I really like the new look." Duo said getting a close up look at the new V-line. "Ecchi." Elinwy said, moving his head from her chest to the stairs. "We're searching the house for a cloak and my brother." Duo nodded, smirking. "I didn't know you had a brother." Elinwy smirked back at him, "I have 25." A dog barked behind her, "Fine, 24. But that's something I now chose to forget." "Then why have I never heard you talk about them?" Elinwy shrugged, "Their not something that comes up a lot." Duo nodded, they had reached the top of the stairs. "So where do we start?" Elinwy stopped at the top of the stairs, and let the dogs go by before pressing a switch, and the door closed. "Here." Elinwy looked around the room once more, looking at each picture of an instruments. Finally after a minute or two, she put her hand to a picture of a violin. The picture glowed green and then an actual violin popped out. It was a dark brown with two red roses by it's f-holes and green vines coming from them, twining here and there, all over the wood. She grabbed it's neck and the bow that appeared beside it and brought them to a black case on the other side of the room. "We start here, on the first floor and work our way up." Duo nodded, and opened the door for her as she picked up the case and walked through the doorway. "Thanks." He closed the door and followed Elinwy down the hall and back to the front door. "Man this place must have been beautiful and grand, when it isn't burnt up and destroyed." Elinwy's eyes went from a light blue to a dark blue. "It was. It was the best place in the world, and it will be again. You will see guardian, you will see." She turned from the broken down doors to the large cut up stair- case. "He is up there." Her eyes moved from door to door. "Jeremy, Peter, Matthew, Leon, Michael, Brian, Chris, Max...Ah..." She picked up the end of her dress and walked up the stairs, black and purple hair, flowing around her. "You coming?" It took a minute for Duo to realize that she was talking to him, so he had to once more run to catch up with her. She walked past the first few doors, and stopped at the end of the hall. Opening the door, Duo saw it was just an empty stone room. "What are we doing here?" Elinwy looked back at him, "You can't see it?" Duo shook his head, "Am I spouse to be seeing something?" Elinwy sighed, "My bad, I jumped ahead of myself. Come here." Duo walked over to her, "Close your eyes." He did what he was told, he felt a light pressure on his eyelids and heard a few mumbled words. "Ok open them." When he did, he wasn't prepared for what he saw. There, instead of just a bare room, there was a bed and desk and dresser, the walls were painted blue and in the bed, slept a little boy. The boy had red hair and looked to be sleeping very soundly. "Is that your brother?" Elinwy nodded. "How old is he?" Elinwy walked over to the bed and picked up the sleeping boy, "2 I believe." "Then how do you know about him? You've been at school the two years." Elinwy smiled down at the sleeping boy in her arms, "I have the knowledge of all the past Whitebrooks, including my mother and father, and brother." Elinwy smiled at Duo, "Enough talk of the past, it is too depressing. Only one more stop." Elinwy handed her violin case to Duo and walked back out the door. "What exactly did you do to me?" Duo asked, walking out behind Elinwy, stopping to see many different paintings and artifacts that he had never seen when he first came in. "One job of being a guardian is being able to see all the things that I am. This whole place is magic, so that upon first sight, it is nothing." Duo nodded as Elinwy held her brother close as she waked past the stair case to the other side, going down past all the doors and straight into the wall?! "ELI?!" "Don't be such a baby." Elinwy's head popped out and frowned at him, "Let's go." She disappeared into the wall and Duo followed behind her. Duo saw why the room had been hidden. It looked to be a master bedroom, it was huge and lavishly decorated. Elinwy handed her brother to Duo, who ocwardly held him. Elinwy moved from Duo, after giving him a reassuring smile, to the large bed at the end of the room. Getting down on her knees, she reached under the bed and pulled out a black box. She got up and took the box with her to the over sized closet. Opening the door, she set down the box and pulled out a black cloak, throwing it over her shoulders and tying it around her neck, then picking up the box again. The cloak covered up any part of body that her dress didn't. "Thank you." Elinwy thanked Duo as she once more took her brother into her arms, "Now we can go back." She once more walked through the wall and out to the hall. Duo followed close behind her, still carrying the violin case. They walk back down the staircase and out the front door. By the front gates all five dogs stood, "You see there?" Elinwy motined to a rose bush that had popped up near the front door, "It's starting to rebuild it's self all ready. Next time we come around, it'll be back to normal." Duo was confused, but some thing told him not to worry about it. Duo smirked down at Elinwy, as she smiled back at her house. "You ready to head back?" Elinwy looked from her house to Duo, "Yeah, before I get to emotional." Duo smirked some more. "It's too late for that." He motioned to the child in her arms, Elinwy moved her eyes from Duo to the road in front of her. "If you tell anyone about this, you will pay." A small smirk replaced Duo's smile. "Sure." With that they started to walked through the desert and into the night. The small group took only another day and they were ¾ of the way back. Soon enough, and half way through the night, Duo got the first look at Hogwarts. "We seemed to take longer going than coming back." "That's understandable." Duo looked back at Elinwy, she had walked behind him the whole way back. "We should reach the school some where around dawn, maybe a little after." She looked to the slowly rising sun. "Such a beautiful red." Elinwy stopped walking and stared at the blood red sky, "Such a sky I may never see again." Duo frowned at the picture. There she stood, dressed in black, dark blue eyes, staring coldly at the sunset, in one arm, her brother, the other a small black shoe box. It was a sad, sad look she gave the sun. She sighed, closing her eyes and looking from the sunset. "Would you hold Jim for a minute." She handed Jim to Duo and set down her black box. Pulling back her sleeves, she started to braid her hair, strangely enough the purple streak stayed in it's own lock of hair. After she was done, Elinwy picked up the box and took back Jim. "Here goes nothing." And with that, she finally took the lead back to Hogwarts, although it didn't last for long, her steps falling slower and slower. "Eli, are you all right?" He looked back to her, a light sheet of sweat covered her face. "Yeah, I'm fine. We're all most there, don't stop." Duo nodded, but slowed his pace anyway. "We're in no rush, we can go as slow as you need." Elinwy stopped only for a second, to hand Duo Jim, "I'm fine, we don't need to slow down. See we're almost there. I can hear voices." Duo put an arm around Elinwy's waist and held Jim tight with the other one. They walked through the forest some more before a sun break and Duo reconized the two figures standing out in front of the school. "We're here Eli." Duo looked down to Elinwy, who still smiled through a pain look and small sweat. "What's the matter Eli?" She didn't reply. "Feira." 


End file.
